DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/dijb.9.1.2026.48-63

Determinants of entrepreneurial intention of Indonesian students

1Management Department, Universitas Stikubank, Indonesia

2Banking and Finance Department, University of Kotli Azad and Kashmir, Pakistan

Open Access Copyright 2026 Diponegoro International Journal of Business under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.

Citation Format:
Abstract
This study explored the mediating roles of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and need for achievement in the effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intention. This study also analyzed the effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial self-efficacy, need for achievement and entrepreneurial intention.  The study population consisted of active university students in Indonesia. The sample comprised 633 students from 30 universities in Indonesia, both state and private. SEM PLS warp-PLS was used as the analysis tool. The results indicate that entrepreneurship education positively affected entrepreneurial self-efficacy, need for achievement, and entrepreneurial intention. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy and need for achievement mediated the effects of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intention.  The findings provide additional theoretical knowledge regarding the relationship between entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, need for achievement, and entrepreneurial intention.  The findings of this study strengthen the theoretical relationship among the variables. In terms of originality, this study adds to the research field on entrepreneurship education and its impact on entrepreneurial self-efficacy, need for achievement and entrepreneurial intention in higher education institutions in Indonesia context that is different from the cultural point of view.  In practice, the findings provide recommendations to university management to set the curriculum in such a way to guarantee that entrepreneurship education can meet the need and run well.
Fulltext View|Download Email colleagues
Keywords: entrepreneurial intention; entrepreneurial education; entrepreneurial self-efficacy; need for achievement.

Article Metrics:

Article Info
Section: Articles
Language : EN
  1. Afrianti, N. L., Kurjono, K., & Acheampong, K. (2024). The Effect of Entrepreneurship Education on Social Entrepreneurship Intentions, Mediating the Need for Achievement, On Mosque Youth in the City of Bandung. Islamic Research, 7(1), 69–75. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.47076/jkpis.v7i1.225
  2. Agustina, T. S., & Fauzia, D. S. (2021). The Need For Achievement, Risk-Taking Propensity, And Entrepreneurial Intention of The Generation Z. Risenologi, 6(1), 96–106
  3. Ajike, E., Kelechi, N. G., Hamed, A., Onyia, V., & Kwarbai, J. D. (2015). Entrepreneurship Education and Entrepreneurial Intentions: The Role of Theory of Planned Behaviour. International Journal of Advanced Research in Social Engineering and Development Strategies, 3(1). https://doi.org/https://ssrn.com/abstract=2825566
  4. Akhtar, S., Hongyuan, T., Iqbal, S., & Ankomah, F. Y. N. (2020). Impact of Need for Achievement on Entrepreneurial Intentions; Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy. Journal of Asian Business Strategy, 10(1), 114–121. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.1006.2020.101.114.121
  5. Ali, A., & Yousuf, S. (2019). Social capital and entrepreneurial intention: empirical evidence from rural community of Pakistan. Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, 9(1), 64. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1186/s40497-019-0193-z
  6. Asimakopoulos, G., Hernández, V., & Miguel, J. P. (2019). Entrepreneurial intention of engineering students: the role of social norms and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Sustainability, 11(16), 4314. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/su11164314
  7. Awang, A., Amran, S., Nor, M. N. M., Ibrahim, I. I., & Razali, M. F. M. (2016). Individual entrepreneurial orientation impact on entrepreneurial intention: Intervening effect of PBC and subjective norms. Journal of Entrepreneurship, Business and Economics, 4(2), 94–129. https://doi.org/http://www.scientificia.com/index.php/JEBE/article/view/45
  8. Bae, T. J., Qian, S., Miao, C., & Fiet, J. O. (2014). The Relationship Between Entrepreneurship Education and Entrepreneurial Intentions: A Meta-Analytic Review. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 38(2), 217–254. https://doi.org/10.1111/etap.12095
  9. Bandura, A. (2006). Guide for constructing self-efficacy scales. Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Adolescents, 5(1), 307–337
  10. Baron, R. A. (2004). The cognitive perspective: a valuable tool for answering entrepreneurship’s basic “why” questions. Journal of Business Venturing, 19(3), 221–239. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-9026(03)00008-9
  11. Baum, J. R., Frese, M., Baron, R., Katz, J. A., Baum, J. R., Frese, M., & Baron, R. (2006). Entrepreneurship as an area of psychology: An introduction. The psychology of entrepreneurship
  12. Bouarir, H., Diani, A., Boubker, O., & Rharzouz, J. (2023). Key Determinants of Women’s Entrepreneurial Intention and Behavior: The Role of Business Opportunity Recognition and Need for Achievement. Administrative Sciences, 13(2), 33. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/ 10.3390/admsci13020033
  13. Boubker, O., Naoui, K., Ouajdouni, A., & Arroud, M. (2022). The effect of action-based entrepreneurship education on intention to become an entrepreneur. MethodsX, 9, 101657. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2022.101657
  14. Cardon, M. S., & Potter, R. (2003). Are Failures Blamed on Misfortune or Mistakes? Entrepreneurial Failure Attributions in US Newspapers. Babson Kauffman Entrepreneurship Research Conference (BKERC), 2002-2006. https://doi.org/https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1782181
  15. Deepali, Jain, S. K., & Chaudhary, H. (2017). Impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intentions of potential entrepreneurs in India. In Entrepreneurship Education: Experiments with Curriculum. Springer. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3319-3_16
  16. Dinis, A., Paço, A. do, Ferreira, J., Raposo, M., & Rodrigues, R. G. (2013). Psychological characteristics and entrepreneurial intentions among secondary students. Education+ Training, 55(8/9), 763–780. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-06-2013-0085
  17. Do, B.-R., & Dadvari, A. (2017). The influence of the dark triad on the relationship between entrepreneurial attitude orientation and entrepreneurial intention: A study among students at Taiwan University. Asia Pacific Management Review, 22(4), 185–191. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmrv.2017.07.011
  18. Donckels, R. (1991). Education and entrepreneurship experiences from secondary and university education in Belgium. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 9(1), 35–42. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/08276331.1991.10600389
  19. Drnovsek, M., Wincent, J., & Cardon, M. . (2010). Entrepreneurial self-efficacy and business start-ups: developing a multi-dimensional definition. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 16(4), 329–348
  20. Edelman, L. F., Manolova, T. S., & Brush, C. G. (2008). Entrepreneurship education: correspondence between practices of nascent entrepreneurs and textbook prescriptions for success. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 7(1), 56–70. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2008.31413862
  21. Eh, C. H., Lin, H. H., Wang, Y. M., Wang, Y. S., & Lo, C. W. (2021). Investigating the relationship between entrepreneurial education and self- efficacy and performance in the context of internet entrepreneurship. The International Journal of Management Education, 19(2), 100565. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2021.100565
  22. Esfandiar, K., Sharifi-Tehrani, M., Pratt, S., & Altinay, L. (2019). Understanding entrepreneurial intentions: A developed integrated structural model approach. Journal of Business Research, 94, 172–182. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.10.045
  23. Fayolle, A., & Gailly, B. (2015). The impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions: hysteresis and persistence. Journal of Small Business Management, 53(1), 75–93. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/jsbm.12065
  24. Franke, N., & Lüthje, C. (2004). Entrepreneurial intentions of business students: a benchmarking study. International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management, 1(3), 269–288. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1142/S0219877004000209
  25. Gazi, M. A. I., Rahman, M. K. H., Yusof, M. F., Masud, A. A., Islam, M. A., Senathirajah, A. R. bin S., & Hossain, M. A. (2024). Mediating role of entrepreneurial intention on the relationship between entrepreneurship education and employability: a study on university students from a developing country. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2023.2294514
  26. Gerba, D. T. (2012). Impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intentions of business and engineering students in Ethiopia. African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, 3(2), 258–277. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/20400701211265036
  27. Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate Data Analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning EMEA
  28. Hansemark, O. C. (1998). The effects of an entrepreneurship program on Need for Achievement and Locus of Control of reinforcement. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 4(1), 28–50. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/13552559810203957
  29. Hansemark, O. C. (2003). Need for achievement, locus of control and the prediction of business start ups: a longitudinal study. Journal of Economic Psychology, 24(3), 301–319. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-4870(02)00188-5
  30. Hoang, G., Le, T. T. T., Tran, A. K. T., & Du, T. (2021). Entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intentions of university students in Vietnam: the mediating roles of self-efficacy and learning orientation. Education and Training, 63(1), 115–133. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-05-2020-0142
  31. Ida Ketut, K. (2019). The prediction of need for achievement to generate entrepreneurial intention: a locus of control mediation. International Review of Management and Marketing, 9(4), 54–62. https://doi.org/http://eprints.triatmamulya.ac.id/id/eprint/336
  32. Ismail, M., Khalid, S. A., Othman, M., Jusoff, H. K., Rahman, N. A., Kassim, K. M., & Zain, R. S. (2009). Entrepreneurial intention among Malaysian undergraduates. International Journal of Business and Management, 4(10), 54–60
  33. Jones, C., & English, J. (2004). A contemporary approach to entrepreneurship education. Education + Training, 46(8/9), 416–423. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/00400910410569533
  34. Karabulut, A. T. (2016). Personality Traits on Entrepreneurial Intention. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 229, 12–21. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.07.109
  35. Karimi, S., Biemans, H. J. A., Lans, T., Chizari, M., & Mulder, M. (2016). The impact of entrepreneurship education: a study of Iranian students’ entrepreneurial intentions and opportunity identification. Journal of Small Business Management, 54(1), 187–209. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/jsbm.12137
  36. Karimi, S., Chizari, M., Biemans, H. J., & Mulder, M. (2010). Entrepreneurship education in Iranian higher education: The current state and challenges. European Journal of Scientific Research, 48(1), 35–50. https://doi.org/https://library.wur.nl/WebQuery/wurpubs/402829
  37. Kristiansen, S., & Indarti, N. (2004). Entrepreneurial intention among Indonesian and Norwegian students. Journal of Enterprising Culture, 12(1), 55–78. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1142/S021849580400004X
  38. Krueger, N. F. (2003). The cognitive psychology of entrepreneurship. In Handbook of Entrepreneurial Research
  39. Krueger, N. F., & Brazeal, D. V. (1994). Entrepreneurial potential and potential entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 18(3), 91–104. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/104225879401800307
  40. Lam, M., Azriel, J., & Swanger, S. L. (2017). The role of entrepreneurial intent and need for achievement in accounting students’ career aspirations. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 17(5). https://doi.org/https://articlearchives.co/index.php/JHETP/article/view/2107
  41. Langowitz, N., & Minniti, M. (2007). The entrepreneurial propensity of women. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 31(3), 341–364. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2007.00177.x
  42. Lebusa, M. J. (2011). Does Entrepreneurial Education Enhance Under-graduate Students’ Entrepreneurial Self-efficacy? A Case at one University of Technology in South Africa. China-USA Business Review, 10(1)
  43. Liñán, F., & Chen, Y. W. (2009). Development and Cross-Cultural Application of a Specific Instrument to Measure Entrepreneurial Intentions. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 33(3), 593–617. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2009.00318.x
  44. Lubada, F., Kusumojanto, D. D., & Indrawati, A. (2021). The Mediating Entrepreneurial Self-efficacy Between Entrepreneurship Education, Need For Achievement, and Creativity on Entrepreneurial Intention. Journal of Business and Management Review, 2(12), 832–849. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.47153/jbmr212.2602021
  45. Maharani, D. F., Indrawati, A., & Saraswati, T. T. (2020). The Influence of Adversity Quotient, Need for Achievement, and Entrepreneurial Attitude on Entrepreneurial Intention. Jurnal Entrepreneur Dan Entrepreneurship, 9(1), 9–16. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.37715/jee.v9i1.1316
  46. McClelland, D. C. (1961). The Achieving Society
  47. McGee, J. E., Peterson, M., Mueller, S. L., & Sequeira, J. M. (2009). Entrepreneurial self–efficacy: Refining the measure. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 33(4), 965–988. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2009.00304.x
  48. Memon, M., Soomro, B. A., & Shah, N. (2019). Enablers of entrepreneurial self-efficacy in a developing country. Education and Training, 61(6), 684–699. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-10-2018-0226
  49. Miranda, F. J., Chamorro-Mera, A., & Rubio, S. (2017). Academic entrepreneurship in Spanish universities: an analysis of the determinants of entrepreneurial intention. European Research on Management and Business Economics, 23(2), 113–122. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iedeen.2017.01.001
  50. Mitra, J., & Matlay, H. (2004). Entrepreneurial and vocational education and training: lessons from Eastern and Central Europe. Industry and Higher Education, 18(1), 53–61. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5367/000000004773040979
  51. Motta, V. F., & Galina, S. V. R. (2023). Experiential learning in entrepreneurship education: A systematic literature review. Teaching and Teacher Education, 121, 103919. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103919
  52. Ndofirepi, T. M. (2020). Relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial goal intentions: psychological traits as mediators. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 9(1). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-020-0115-x
  53. Noel, T. W. (2001). Effects of entrepreneurial educations on intention to open a business: frontiers of entrepreneurship research. Babson Conference Proceedings
  54. Paço, A. do, Ferreira, J. M., Raposo, M., Rodrigues, R. G., & Dinis, A. (2015). Entrepreneurial intentions: Is education enough? International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 11, 57–75. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-013-0280-5
  55. Pedrini, M., Langella, V., & Molteni, M. (2017). Do entrepreneurial education programs impact the antecedents of entrepreneurial intention? An analysis of an entrepreneurship MBA in Ghana. Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 11(3), 373–392. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-12-2016-0043
  56. Peterman, N. E., & Kennedy, J. (2003). Enterprise education: Influencing students’ perceptions of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 28(2), 129–144. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1540-6520.2003.00035.x
  57. Pihie, Z. A. L., & Akmaliah, Z. (2009). Entrepreneurship as a career choice: an analysis of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and intention of university students. European Journal of Social Sciences, 9(2), 338–349
  58. Pihie, Z. A. L., & Bagheri, A. (2010). Entrepreneurial attitudes and entrepreneurial efficacy of technical secondary school students. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 62(3), 351–366. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820.2010.509806
  59. Popescu, C. C., Bostan, I., Robu, I. B., Maxim, A., & Diaconu, L. (2016). An Analysis of the Determinants of Entrepreneurial Intentions among Students: A Romanian Case Study. Sustainability, 8(8), 771. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/su8080771
  60. Prakash, D., Jain, S., & Chauhan, K. (2015). Entrepreneurial intensity in relation to presence of entrepreneurship development cell: A study of institutes offering professional courses in national capital region Delhi. The International Journal of Management Education, 13(1), 95–105. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2015.01.004
  61. Puni, A., Anlesinya, A., & Korsorku, P. D. A. (2018). Entrepreneurial education, self-efficacy and intentions in Sub-Saharan Africa. African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, 9(4), 492–511. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJEMS-09-2017-0211
  62. Rauch, A., & Frese, M. (2007). Let’s put the person back into entrepreneurship research: A meta-analysis on the relationship between business owners’ personality traits, business creation, and success. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 16(4), 353–385. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/13594320701595438
  63. Rauch, A., & Hulsink, W. (2015). Putting entrepreneurship education where the intention to act lies: An investigation into the impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial behavior. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 14(2), 187–204. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2012.0293
  64. Robichaud, Y., McGraw, E., & Alain, R. (2001). ’Toward the development of a measuring instrument for entrepreneurial motivation. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 6(2), 189. https://doi.org/https://www.proquest.com/openview/fc377a8658510b994379632e6b230cf2/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=32118
  65. Rokhman, W., & Ahamed, F. (2015). The Role of Social and Psychological Factors on Entrepreneurial Intention among Islamic College Students in Indonesia. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 3(1), 29–42. https://doi.org/https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=206758
  66. Soomro, B. A., & Shah, N. (2015). Developing attitudes and intentions among potential entrepreneurs. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 28(2), 304–322. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-07-2014-0070
  67. Soomro, B. A., & Shah, N. (2022). Entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, need for achievement and entrepreneurial intention among commerce students in Pakistan. Education + Training, 64(1), 107–125. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-01-2021-0023
  68. Steenekamp, A. G. (2013). An assessment of the impact of entrepreneurship training on the youth in South Africa. Noth-West University
  69. Uddin, M. R., & Bose, T. K. (2012). Determinants of entrepreneurial intention of business students in Bangladesh. International Journal of Business and Management, 7(24), 128
  70. Urbano, D., Aparicio, S., & Audretsch, D. (2019). Twenty-five years of research on institutions, entrepreneurship, and economic growth: What has been learned? Small Business Economics, 53, 21–49. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-018-0038-0
  71. Vodă, A. I., & Florea, N. (2019). Impact of Personality Traits and Entrepreneurship Education on Entrepreneurial Intentions of Business and Engineering Students. Sustainability, 11(4), 1192. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041192
  72. Webb, T., Quince, T., & Watkins, D. (1982). Small Business Research: The Development of Entrepreneurs
  73. Wilson, F., Kickul, J., & Marlino, D. (2007). Gender, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and entrepreneurial career intentions: Implications for entrepreneurship education. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 31(3), 387–406. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2007.00179.x
  74. Wilson, F., Kickul, J., Marlino, D., Barbosa, S. D., & Griffiths, M. D. (2009). An analysis of the role of gender and self-efficacy in developing female entrepreneurial interests and behavior. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 14(2), 105–119. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1142/S1084946709001247
  75. Wincent, J., & Örtqvist, D. (2009). A comprehensive model of entrepreneur role stress antecedents and consequences. Journal of Business and Psychology, 24, 225–243. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-009-9102-8
  76. Wu, S., & Wu, L. (2008). The impact of higher education on entrepreneurial intentions of university students in China. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 15(4), 752–774. https://doi.org/10.1108/14626000810917843
  77. Yang, J.-H., & Kim, C. (2020). The Effect of Entrepreneurship Education on Entrepreneurial Intention. The Korean Academic Association of Business Administration, 33(3), 443–461. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.18032/kaaba.2020.33.3.443
  78. Yousaf, U., Ali, S. A., Ahmed, M., Usman, B., & Sameer, I. (2020). From entrepreneurial education to entrepreneurial intention: a sequential mediation of self-efficacy and entrepreneurial attitude. International Journal of Innovation Science, 13(3), 364–380. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJIS-09-2020-0133
  79. Zeffane, R. (2013). Need for achievement, personality and entrepreneurial potential: A study of young adults in the United Arab Emirates. Journal of Enterprising Culture, 21(1), 75–105. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1142/S0218495813500040
  80. Zhang, H., Zhang, T., Cai, H., Li, Y., Wei Huang, W., & Xu, D. (2014). Proposing and validating a five-dimensional scale for measuring entrepreneurial orientation an empirical study. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, 6(2), 102–121. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/JEEE-03-2014-0004
  81. Zhao, H., Seibert, S. E., & Hills, G. E. (2005). Themediating role of self-efficacy in the development of entrepreneurial intentions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(6), 1265–1272. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.90.6.1265

Last update:

No citation recorded.

Last update:

No citation recorded.